Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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129. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps required by Monaghan County Council to secure funding under the large-scale sports infrastructure fund towards the provision of a public swimming pool in Carrickmacross. [33193/21]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Previously, Government support for new swimming pools or the refurbishment of existing pools was provided through the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme (LASPP). To date 52 pools have been completed under the LASPP and three swimming pool projects (Lucan, Buncrana and Edenderry) remain in the programme.

Exchequer support for any new swimming pool projects is now being provided under the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF).  The LSSIF was launched in 2018 to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects, including swimming pools, with at least €100m being made available over the period to 2027. Provisional grants to 8 swimming pool projects under the LSSIF were awarded in January 2020. No application was received under the first call for proposals for a new pool in Carrickmacross.

While it is not proposed to open the LSSIF for new applications at present, my Department is undertaking a review of the LSSIF Programme which is expected to be complete in the near future. This review will consider, inter alia, progress on all existing grants and whether any additional grants should be awarded. The timing of any new call for proposals will also be considered in the context of this review and the review of the National Development Plan. All local authorities will be informed when new proposals under the LSSIF are being accepted.